Ingredients

Juice of 1 lemon

2bay leaves

1teaspoon sea salt or to taste

Handful of peppercorns

3large artichokes (about 1 pound each)

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot with lemon juice, bay leaves, sea salt and peppercorns. Drop in artichokes. If necessary, add more water to just cover them. Cook about 15 minutes or until tender but still a little firm to the touch when pierced with a fork at the stem. Remove artichokes with cooking tongs and let them cool slightly.

Remove outer leaves from artichoke, cut off ¼ inch from stem and tip ends, then cut each heart into 4 vertical pieces. Scoop out choke and feathery fibers embedded in center and refrigerate heart.

Fill a wok or frying pan with about 3 inches of oil and heat to 365F to 375F. Deep-fry 2 to 3 artichoke pieces at a time for 3 to 5 minutes; they will puff slightly as they cook. Serve hot, sprinkled with additional sea salt.